Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Post-Christmas Excitement

The day after Christmas is always a bit of a let-down. But not this year. Today I've been busy thinking about how much promise the coming year holds, and what I want to try to accomplish. I'm actually pretty excited. Sure, I'll be sad to start dismantling all the decorations, especially the Charlie Brown extravaganza that I've talked my husband into:

(A whole Charlie Brown Tree!)

But I'm excited to replace all the things I've made this past month with new ones (ok, maybe I'll leave the Santa curtains up a little longer.) (Santa Curtains!!)

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I've never actually made curtains before, but at the last minute I realized I still had several yards of Santa fabric that I had planned to use for place mats that hadn't happened, and the dancing Santas were so jolly that they deserved to be *something*, so I took down the curtain in our kitchen that's been there for 6 six years, measured it, and made some curtains! It was a lot easier than I had anticipated, but it somehow came together pretty well, and I'm in love :) The good news is, I have stacks of Amy Butler home dec fabric that I got in the super-clearance bin at Hancock's in Paducah that have been crying to be made into something crafty.I also realized that all those charm packs I have been hoarding that I'm always drawn to but never seem to be able to use have a purpose as well: more last minute sewing. I'm not a huge home-decorator in the sense of lots of things lying around matchy-matchy (except for holidays), but my mother-in-law couldn't stop exclaiming over things like the set I made out of one charm pack of a table runner, coasters, and a giant mug rug, which perfectly used up all 50 squares.

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I decided it's ok to be matchy-matchy at Christmas. What else was I going to do with those squares? I have to admit that all the decorations did make me feel, finally, like I could pull together a big family holiday somewhat successfully. Because of where we live, and the fact that husband usually has to work in the morning, everyone comes to us, which is wonderful but also panic-inducing. I've always felt a bit stressed out, worried that the food will be terrible, the dogs will be crazy, the gifts totally off the mark. But it works out ok, and everyone has a good time. But while I was running around in the kitchen yesterday, I kept catching glances of things like bunting (bunting!) and place mats and curtains, and thinking, I can do this! Life in grad school has been filled with so many feelings of inadequacy and failure, for so many years, that it's kind of awesome to think, I CAN make ______! Nerdy, sure, but such a change of pace and emotion. And the dogs behaved! They did not knock over the toddlers, or pee on the rug. (not once!)And they are exhausted.

Lola dog

Rosie dog

These dogs have the right idea: relax and enjoy life a little. Instead of that feeling of sadness that Christmas is over, I'm actually looking forward to time to figure out what I want to do in life. I have been thinking the past few days of something the Pastor said at Christmas Eve services: Christmas is not a single day or season, but an entire year. The anticipation we feel about impending Christmas each year, and all that accompanies it, should really be an excitement we feel all year long, grateful for our friends and family, thankful for time together, excited about what is in the weeks to come. Which is what I intend to do. Which is why I am having this for dinner: